Biomes at MoBot

Objective: Understand the plants,
animals and climate that characterize each biome of the world.
Site: http://mbgnet.mobot.org/ - Missouri Botanical Gardens

Browse each biome and fill out the chart below.

Biome

Type of Plants

Types of Animals

Details &
Climate (weather)

Rainforest

Tundra

Taiga

Desert

Temperate Forest

Grasslands

*Browse the site to find the answers to the following questions.

1. The trees that live in the taiga are all very similar. Collectively, these trees are called:

2. How do trees in the taiga protect
themselves from fire (check under "taiga facts")?

3. Go to the temperate deciduous forest link and locate the graph that compares its rainfall to that of other biomes. What two biomes receive the most rainfall and how many inches per year do they receive?

4. Go to the link that asks "what causes seasons?" Describe in your own words what causes the seasons.

5. Go to the leaf identification section. Identify the leaves below.

6. Go to the link for the desert biome, why does a desert get so cold at night?

7. Name the four major deserts of
North America. (Look under the "deserts of the world" link).

8. What is the world's largest desert and where is it located?

9. In order to be classified as a
"tropical rain forest" a forest must be located between what two Tropics.

10. Where can you find a rain forest
in the United States?

11. Where is the tundra located and what is its most distinctive feature?

12. What is a lichen and where do they grow? (look under tundra plants)

13. What are the three types of grasslands
found in the United States?

14. 14. Look under "Grasslands of the World". What are grasslands called in Africa? What are they called in the U.S.?

15. There are three freshwater ecosystem links at the top menu. What are the three categories?

16. What is the longest river in the world? What is the longest river in the United States?

17. Name a fish, a bird, and a reptile that you would find near a lake.

18. Go to the rivers link and answer the question "What is a watershed?"

19. The top menu has three categories for marine ecosystems. What are they?

20. Within the shoreline ecosytem link are several subtopics that describe different types of shorelines. Pick one of the types of shorelines and write a short description.